Tsinghua-Groningen Research Center

Introduction

Tsinghua-Groningen research center for China-EU relations was established in September 2011. The mission of TGRC is to carry out interdisciplinary teaching and research at both universities on topics related to the European Union, EU-China relations and Sino-Dutch relations; to cultivate experts and talents in the field of European studies and International Relations; to enhance the mutual understanding and exchange between China and Europe/the Netherlands; and to generate exposure and publicity for both universities.

Education

Groningen IR (International Relations) staff provides an annual two-week course on European integration and EU-China relations for Tsinghua IIS (Tsinghua’s Institute of International Studies) and other interested students. After the course, each individual student writes a paper on a topic related to the central theme. The Tsinghua student with the best paper wins a scholarship for studying one semester at the University of Groningen. Besides this prize-winning student, other forms of regular student exchange between the two Universities have been implemented. Moreover, each academic year Tsinghua sends an IIS professor to the University of Groningen to teach IR classes or attend a research conference.

Research

We organize workshops, seminars and conferences on issues of joint concern: primarily European integration, China-EU relations and Sino-Dutch relations, and international security (arms control), international political economy, globalization problems, etc. Research initiatives like these lead to joint book publications and articles in established IR and IO journals. The exchange of staff and PhD students between the two universities is also one of the major results of the research cooperation.

Information channel

TGRC provides an information channel for Chinese students visiting the Netherlands; and organizing cultural events to deepen understanding of each other’s traditions and cultures. On the Groningen side, TGRC also aims to increase the interest in China-related studies at Groningen University, for example by cooperating with the Groningen Confucius institute and strengthening the University’s China academic network. There is also close collaboration with the newly founded Center for East Asian Studies Groningen (CEASG).